Moonlight
by Forgottenscrawl
Summary: Moonlight is the story of how Isabella Swan escapes her abusive stepfather in Arizona to move back in with her deadbeat dad only to discover that there are nefarious forces at work in small town Washington.
1. Preface

I am so weak. This new revelation stung. We all believe we'll be the last one standing, but the cold hard reality is that everyone dies. I am so weak. Soon my heart will stop, my organs will fail, and I will cease to be. I stared across the room unblinking, my eyes stinging from the blood that dripped down my brow, and a pair of dark eyes stared back. Even in my last moments, uncertainty gripped my chest, fear of the end coursed through my veins. I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. I decided to play a game where the consequence for losing was death, and now I was merely collecting my reward… _Lost?_ I thought, the idea pouring anger over fear. I had come so close to a reward far beyond any of my expectations, and in mere moments everything I strived for will be lost. I opened my mouth, the blood dripping from my lips and wheezed "Mercy? I want nothing but death." The hunter's face filled with anger as he slowly walked towards me preparing to end my life. At least he would not win either.


	2. Chapter 1: First Sight

I spent most of the ride to the airport in a daze, staring out the window thinking to myself. The heat caused the ground to shimmer in the distance. There were no clouds in the sky, and the sun bore down oppressively. The air condition was broken, and my clothes seemed to cling to my skin regardless of the humidity. It was a mere 24 degrees. I imagined this would be the last time I could dress lightly for the next several months but I was still wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans for different reasons than the climate. For my destination however, I brought an old raincoat that hadn't seen use for years.

In the Olympic peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town by the uninspired name of Forks existed under the perpetual cover of clouds. The only area where this insignificant town excels is how wholly depressing it is. It rains on Forks more than any other town in the entire goddamn United States. My mother had managed to escape its gloomy existence when I was only a few months old, and after spending a month out of every summer there with my estranged father until the age of fourteen, I finally put my foot down. For the past 3 years my deadbeat father Charlie came down to Arizona instead, much to the disdain of my mother. It was to Forks that I now had to resign myself. The thought of being stranded in Forks for the next few months sapped my energy. I hated Forks, and all the hicks that lived there. I wasn't too fond of Phoenix either, but it was many times preferable to Forks.

"Bel-… Isabella," my mother began, breaking the silence of the ride. "I hope you can see it in your heart to forgive Phil, I know he's a good guy, he's just a bit rough around the edges…"

I looked into her begging eyes, but became fixated on slight bruising around her left eye instead. I sighed. "I'm leaving." My own split lip stung as the words left my mouth. She made a pained face, which left a pit in my stomach. I knew that she wouldn't listen to what I had to say. She hadn't in the past, too blinded by a mixture of love, pain, and fear. After the police had shown up at our apartment a few nights ago, Phil had almost landed back in jail. He'll be laying low out of state for a while. Mom will be fine for now at least. The silence returned to the vehicle until we arrived at the airport. As she got out of the car to help me with my luggage, she covered her bruise with her hand; I could tell she was embarrassed. "I got this" I said, it wasn't like I had much luggage to begin with. Most of the clothing I owned was unsuitable for the colder climate in Forks. She opened her arms for a farewell hug.

"Tell Charlie I said hi"

"I will"

"You'll come back right?" she said panic tinting her voice "You can come home whenever you want – I'm sure Phil will cool down too"

She was starting to tear up. My eyes were dry.

"I'm going now" I said. My thighs stung as I bent down to pick up my suitcase, but I kept my face emotionless. I turned my back to her and walked into the airport without looking back.

It was an uneventful 4-hour flight to Seattle, and then another hour in a smaller plane to Port Angeles. From the port, it was an hour drive to Forks, and as I entered the luggage return area, I immediately noticed my dad standing in the small group with a dumb grin on his face. I had only told Charlie the bare minimum, and could tell he was surprised to see my injured lip. He met me halfway, pointing to his lip, his eyes questioning.

"I walked into a door back in Phoenix; you know how _clumsy_ I am" I said giving him a fake smile. He frowned but said nothing. Charlie seemed to be genuinely pleased I would be staying for more than a month for the first time. He had already registered me at the local high school, and had said he was going to help me find a car.

"It's good to see you, Bells" he said, smiling as he motioned towards where he had parked. I froze, remembering something unpleasant. "Please, don't call me that" I mumbled. "What?" he asked loudly. "Don't call me Bella" I said, trying to hide the pain in my voice.

"But you always used to-"

"I know dad, just, please…"

"Alright fine… How is Renee?"

"Mom's fine" I lied, "it's good to see you are too." The conversation ended abruptly as we walked through the parking lot.

I shoved the few bags I had into the trunk of his cruiser. Once we were strapped in, he broke the silence.

"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in.

"What kind of car?" I asked, actually interested.

"It's a truck, actually. A Chevy"

A hick car for a hick town, I thought to myself grimly.

"Where did you find it?"

"Do you remember Billy from that Indian reservation on the coast?"

"Who?"

"You don't remember him? We used to go fishing with him when you were younger. Until you uh… stop-"

"Oh him" I interrupted, still with only a vague idea of who he was talking about.

"… Well, he's in a wheelchair now" Charlie continued, "so he can't drive anymore, so he offered to sell his car to me for cheap."

"What year is it?" I asked. He sighed. "It's not that old, I think he bought it back in ninety four"

"Was it even new then?"

"Uh… I think it was new in the sixties?"

"Dad that's like 35 years old! What am I gonna do if it breaks? And mileage probably will probably suck as well"

"Really Isabella, it runs fine, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine, they don't make cars like they used to"

"For good reason dad… I'll look at it alright? Anyways, how cheap is cheap?"

"Well, honey, I kind of bought it for you already. As a homecoming gift" he said meekly, almost bracing himself. Free _was_ cheap I guess, but I could already tell it was going to be a headache.

"Thanks Dad, you didn't have to do that. I was going to buy myself a car" Maybe one that wasn't older than I was I thought to myself.

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was turned to face the road when he said this, and I was thankful that I didn't have to give him another fake smile. I tried my best to sound cheery as I responded.

"That's really nice Dad. Thank you. I appreciate it." I lied again. I tried to remember the last thing I had said with sincerity, but soon gave up.

"Well, you're welcome" he muttered, embarrassed by my thanks. We exchanged a few more comments about the weather, which was wet, and happenings in Forks, but that was it for our conversation. We spent the rest of the drive staring out of the front windows to the rhythmic patter of the rain and dragging sound the wipers made.

As we drove towards Forks, there were less buildings, less cars, less people. Soon there was only the occasional house or gravel driveway which stood out from the greenery. The trees were covered in moss, and the canopy even tinted the overcast sunlight a slight green. It felt like a different world than Arizona.

Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in a small, two bedroom house that he bought when he was still married to my mother. That didn't last long. Parked next to his house at the end of a long gravel driveway was my new-ish truck. It was a garish thing, rust red, massive, and all mine. I held back a sigh. I assumed it would run, but it was everything I had been dreading on the ride over.

"Wow dad, I love it… thanks." Now at least I wouldn't have to walk two miles in the rain to school tomorrow, or be driven there like a convict as I have no doubt my father would've volunteered.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said obliviously.

I carried all my belongings to where I would be staying in one quick trip. My bedroom faced out over the driveway and front yard. It was somewhat familiar; the room had belonged to me since I was born here. The creaky wooden floorboards and sky blue walls all brought back memories, some negative, and some positive. The only changes Charlie had made were removing the crib that had hardly seen use, and putting in a bed and a desk as I grew older. The desk now seated a second-hand computer.

Charlie isn't one to hover normally. I think he can tell when he isn't wanted around. He left me alone to unpack and get settled. It was good to be alone; I was tired of acting pleased and faking smiles. It felt like the first time in months I could be myself but I stared out the window. My eyes stung, but I didn't shed a tear.

Forks High School had a total of 358 students, including myself. Back in Arizona, in my year alone there were more than 700. All of the kids here had grown up together as well. School hadn't even started and I was already the odd one out. I was the new girl from the big city, daughter of the sheriff's run away wife, an oddity. This fact would frustrate me, but even in Phoenix I never fit in with the people around me. Preferring to stay out of the heat, I was as pale as people who had spent their entire lives here. Because I didn't get out much, I had a bit of extra fat, but I was by no means obese like some people I knew.

When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took out a bag of bathroom necessities to clean myself up. I could hardly recognize my own face in the mirror as I tried to brush through my tanged brown hair. My eyes were brown and sunken back, and the split lip stood out from my pale skin. It looked like I had been through hell. I brushed my shirt to clear off any stray hairs and winced as my hands passed over the bruises. I realized that maybe I wouldn't stand out too much here in Forks, I imagine I'll be the same shade of pale everyone else is. I had a larger problem in that I just didn't do well in social situations. It seemed like I was never on the same page as those around me. Sometimes I wondered if everyone else saw the same shitty world I did. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. None of that mattered though, whether I enjoyed it or not, school was just another way to waste the day.

I was surprised by how well I slept. The absence of shouting does wonders. The incessant rain didn't even bother me. It seemed like I was out the second my head hit the pillow. Maybe I just didn't realize how exhausted I really was.

When I woke up the next morning, I spun around, not knowing where I was. Soon the reality of Forks set in. Through my room's window I couldn't see more than a few dozen feet in any direction. The precipitation from the night before had left a thick fog


End file.
